“But how will I be able to get her to you?Cindy asked your boyfriend.”
“I’ll be close by. Just message me when it’s done, Matt answered.”
Lowering Cindy’s cell, I look at her. “Do I need to continue?”
Her eyes are narrowed up at me, and her lips pulled back, baring her teeth. “You fucking ruined him!” Ashley growls. I’ve hit a nerve. Good. Finally, we’re getting somewhere. “His chance at being a great Lord. Then you choose his girlfriend? You both deserve what you’re going to get.”
“And you were more than willing to help him?” I ask, tilting my head to the side.
“Of course,” she snaps. “A Lady stands by her Lord.”
“Aw.” I nod my head. “I get it now. He promised you not only retribution but also Lady status.” Which has to be a lie because he was still planning on marrying Blake. Lords are a lot of things, but they are still only allowed one wife. Now they can fuck as many women as they want outside of their marriage, but legally—on paper—they have one wife.
“She wasn’t even supposed to return. I stayed behind and watched her for three fucking weeks for him. Day in and day out while she worked in that run-down piece-of-shit bar and stayed in that nasty-ass motel.” She snorts. “I told him I was done and was leaving to come back, and he sent Derek to watch her.” She gives me a chilling smile. “He wanted to pay you back, and she was the best payment Matt could give him.”
Taking in a deep breath, she places her nose up in the air, and I tap the bloody knife to my thigh, her blood staining my jeans.
“So, fuck you, Ryat!” she snaps, and then her eyes look out over the bottom level. “He’ll make her life miserable and make sure you get to watch.” Her bloodshot eyes shoot to look up at me.
“This has been informative. Thank you for playing,” I say, knowing all I needed to know. I actually was already aware of all of this, but I needed her confession to kill her in front of the Lords. I grip the back of the chair. “Your prize is death.”
“No … wait. Matt …”
I shove it forward, knocking it in the baptism pool with her still tied to it. Her voice rings throughout the cathedral before her head goes under. Her blood instantly turns the water red, making it look like red wine, and she struggles in the chair as it hits the bottom.
I’m being a little theatrical right now. More than usual, but I thought it’d be poetic to kill her how Matt almost did when he was in that water with her for the vow ceremony. I should have never stood and stopped him. That was a lesson I learned the hard way.
BLAKELY
I FEEL NUMB.
I’m not even sad that Ryat tortured the woman or the fact that he looked like he enjoyed it.
Sitting here, I realize that everything has been a lie. I mean, a part of me already knew that but thinking it and having it confirmed are two very different things.
Now I just look stupid. The entire time I was with Matt, he had someone else. And she knew about me. She was in on everything, pretending that she didn’t know who I was. Helping him when I ran. She kept tabs on me like my biggest fan.
All the Lords stand and exit the cathedral one by one, and I stay planted in my seat, unable to move. Instead, my eyes are trained on the glass that showcases the inside of the baptism pool.
Ashley’s dead body is at the bottom, still strapped to the chair in the red water. Every moment of my life over the past couple of months have been tracked or forced in some way.
The only real decision I’ve made was to stay Ryat’s wife. He was forced to pick me as his chosen. I felt forced to marry him to save myself from Matt. Ryat said I wasn’t paying attention if I thought he wanted to divorce me, but I chose not to sign those papers. I wanted to fight for him. For us. In a world full of smoke and mirrors, he’s something real. We got here by chance, but we’re still together by choice.
I can’t thank him enough for finding me when I ran. I thought Ryat was watching me while I was away, but it turns out it was Matt. He had eyes on me, and when he realized Ryat was getting close, he paid some piece of shit named Derek to kill me.
“Blake?”
I blink, lowering my eyes and see a set of green ones looking into mine. Ryat is kneeling in front of me. I don’t say anything. My lips won’t work.
He sighs heavily. Reaching out, he runs his thumb across my cheek, then wipes it on his already bloody jeans. Am I crying? Not sure why I’d be crying. I feel nothing for that bitch he just killed.
“Come on.” He takes my hand and pulls me to stand, but my legs give out, so he picks me up, cradling me in his arms.
My head hangs off the side of his forearm, and I look up to see Gunner and Prickett pulling Ashley’s lifeless body from the water. They’re still dressed in their cloaks, but their masks are on the floor. I watch them cut the zip ties, and her body falls onto the floor with a thud, then Ryat is walking us out the door, and I can’t see her anymore. A part of me wants to watch them bury her. It was satisfying knowing that Cindy was underground in a graveyard where no one would ever look. I want that same satisfaction with Ashley too.
Ryat places me in the passenger seat of his SUV, puts my seat belt on, and then closes the door. I lean my head against the cold window while he drives us who knows where.
I don’t even pay attention to where we’re going. His cell rings twice, and he speaks to someone on his Bluetooth, but again, I tune it out.
Does any of it matter anymore—Life?
Matt wants me dead. Especially now. What if he succeeds? I want more time with Ryat. I want us to have kids. Should I get that? Do I deserve that? No. I’m no different than the ones trying to kill me. But everyone else is also doing everything in their power to get what they want. I’m going to do the same.
“You either kill or be killed,”Ryat had said to me once. I didn’t understand how true that was, but I do now. It’s just a game, and who knows who will still be alive once it ends.
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
RYAT
IPARK IN the back packed parking lot of Blackout and get out. She hasn’t said anything to me, and honestly, it’s got me worried. I grab the bag out of the back and throw it over my shoulder before going to her door and picking her up. I shut the passenger door, and the back door slams open to the club as I walk across the parking lot. Ty holds it open for me and looks down at her. “Is she okay?”
“Yeah,” I lie, trying to convince myself more than him. I keep telling myself it’s just been a long night. Between our fight, a fake divorce, sex in my bunker, and two murders—she just needs some rest.
The club is in full swing, but the sound of “Honesty” by Halsey blaring doesn’t even seem to faze her. I carry her up the stairs and then in the elevator to the fourth floor, down a long hallway where Ty unlocks a door for me. “Here you go.” He shoves a key in my back pocket since my hands are currently full.
“Thanks, man.”
“Anytime. You’re welcome to stay as long as you need to.” He closes it behind me, leaving us alone, and I take us to the back master suite, and straight into the bathroom. I need a shower. I’m covered in not only blood but also dirt from digging a grave.
Setting her on the black marble countertop, I start undressing her, and she remains silent. Her eyes are glazed over—she’s looking at me but not seeing anything.
“We need a shower,” I tell her, and she slowly nods in agreement. She’s listening, so I haven’t lost her completely yet.
Leaving her on the countertop, I walk into the Roman shower and turn on the water. After getting undressed, I then pick her up and carry her into the shower. I stand her on her feet but use my body to hold her up against the white subway tile wall, letting the hot water wash over us, washing away another night of dead bodies.
She blinks, her eyes focusing on mine. “There’s my girl.” I breathe out in relief, running my hand over her wet hair and giving her a smile.
“Do you believe in heaven and hell?” her soft voice asks as I watch her blue eyes fill with tears. “I’ve never really thought about it …” She licks her lips. “But there has to be something better than this, right? So much hate. So much deceit. How does anyone know what’s real or fake?”
“No,” I answer her question honestly. “I don’t believe in life after death.” Her eyes search mine, and for once, I hate how vulnerable she looks—almost broken. I want to make her whole. That’s my job as her husband. She belongs to me, and Matt is still controlling her emotions—making her question everything. “The Lords have shown me that darkness exists. That you don’t have to die in order to burn. And then you came along …” I place both of my hands on her wet face, and she blinks, allowing the first tear to run down her cheek. “I can see you, touch you, and kiss you.” I wipe it away with my thumb. “I can love you.” My eyes drop to her plump lips, and her bottom one trembles. “You, Blakely Rae Archer, are my heaven.” Letting go of her face, I pick up her left hand and bring her knuckles to my lips, kissing her wedding ring. “I made a vow to protect you, Blake, and I’ll show anyone who tries to hurt you my version of hell.”
I’d set the world on fire, including myself, if it meant saving her.
BLAKELY
THIS IS REAL!
This is what I wanted. All along. Acceptance, love, understanding. What if he’s right, and this is all we get? And when you die, you’re just … gone. Eventually not even a memory to anyone.
I can live with that because I have him.
Wrapping my arms around his neck, I pull his face down to mine. His hands slap the wall, leaving the smallest space between our lips. My eyes take in his sharp jaw, the curve of his lips and green eyes—they look different now that I know who he really is—sexier in a way that has my blood pumping.
I know who you are, Ryat Alexander Archer.I’m not afraid of what I see, nor am I ashamed.
His dark hair is wet, and some of the longer pieces have fallen down across his face into his eyes as the water hits us. Leaning forward, he goes to press his lips to mine, but I pull back just enough to meet his eyes again and whisper, “I love you, Ryat.”
His lips capture mine, and I open up for him, letting him take control. It’s passionate yet needy at the same time. The water falling down over us makes our lips slippery, the kiss messy. His teeth hit mine, and I moan, wanting them to bite into my skin, to fucking scar me so I’ll forever have a reminder of tonight.
I thought I knew what love would be like marrying Matt. Not what I dreamed of but tolerable. Ryat has shown me that there is more out there. I’m no longer settling for something; I’m taking it.
One of his hands tangles into my wet hair, and I lift my left leg to wrap around his hip.
“Fuck, Blake,” he growls, pulling his face from mine. His lips drop to my neck, and I tilt my head to the side. “I love you so goddamn much.”
I suck in a shaky breath. “I love …”
His lips capture mine again, and his hand falls between our bodies. Then he’s sliding his hard dick into me. Knocking the back of my head into the wall, I gasp when he stretches me open. I’m still sensitive from earlier, but I’m not going to turn him down. Not now. Not ever.
Ryat Archer is a killer, and all I can think of is I wish I could prove my love for him the way he has for me. He deserves that much. Blood for blood. He’s spilled so much for me. I’m not afraid to bleed for him.
I’m gasping, my hands digging into his skin, feeling his muscles tense while his fingers dig into my ass, and he lifts me off my feet.
“Yes,” I gasp as he pulls out and shoves his dick into me, my back hitting the wall. “Oh, God.” My eyes close, and he picks up his pace, fucking me how I like it.
Water from the sprayers slips between my parted lips, and I swallow it, trying to catch my breath. If this is what it feels like to drown, I don’t want to be above water.
The bathroom fills with his grunts and the sound of our bodies slapping. My legs tighten around his hips, and I lock my ankles, clinging to his slippery skin. I can’t get him close enough, deep enough. I want this man to consume me. Take what little pieces I had left of myself and make them his.
I’m not the type of woman who needs to know who I am. All I need to know is who I am with him. And I know exactly who that is—his. Nothing else fucking matters.
He slams into me, his dick hitting that spot that always makes my body fucking burn from the inside out. My moans grow louder, my breathing heavier.
He yanks me from the wall, only to slam me into the other one opposite us, forcing a cry from my lips.
“That’s what I wanted to hear,” he growls. His mouth goes to my neck, and I feel him sucking on my skin.
“Ryat!” I shout his name, my heart already racing, the fire starting. He goes harder, faster, knowing I’m right there. Closing my eyes, I let the wave wash over me, knowing that I’m already drowning. Why not let it wash me away?
_______________
I LIE IN bed, listening to the pounding music below us. It’s not that bad but definitely noticeable. “I need to go back to the cabin,” I tell him.
“You’re not going back there,” he states, entering the bedroom with a towel wrapped around his hips. Water still runs down over his sculpted chest and abs. His arms are red from my nails digging into them in the shower.
“I have to get my books for classes tomorrow.” It’s Monday, and I have to get back to Barrington. Fuck, I’m going to be so far behind. By now, I’m failing everything. I’ve missed so much work, only for it not to have been worth it. At the time, I didn’t care to go back, but that’s when I was going to live my life on the run. That’s not the case anymore.
He was in the middle of knocking the water out of his hair, but he pauses. A smile tugs at his lips, and then he starts laughing.
“What’s so funny?” I sit up.
“You’re done with school, Blake,” he announces.
“Excuse me?” I argue.
“You left. You think people weren’t going to realize you weren’t there?”